Control system for connecting motors as braking-generators.



Witnesses; Mme/7 tor 770. 844,777. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

. 1 E. CASE. 7 UONTROL SYSTEM FOR CONNECTING MOTORS AS BRAKING GENERATORS,

APPLICATION FILED JUNEG, 1906. I

' I 3 Fraxv/rticase %ma7 3 W MW f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. CASE, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO' GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION NEW YORK.

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR CONNECTING MOTORS AS BRAKING-GENERATORS.

Speciflcation'of Letters Patent.

Patenta d Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed June 6. 1906. Serial No. 320,436-

ma e to serve as bra ing-generators to stop or retard the movement of a car or train. The series motors usually employed need only have the connections between the fields and armatures reversed in order to cause them to operate as generators. In the ordinary systems the motor-controllers and the reversing-switch are electrically operated, so that in case the power fails the service operating means cannot be used to effect the plroper connections. In my prior patent,

0. 809,773, granted January 9, 1906, this diti'iculty is overcome through the use of auxiliary or emergency operating means for con trolling the reversing-switch independently of the source of current-supply. Where, however, the motors are not normally'connec'ted in closed circuitsas, for example, in an ordinary two-motor equipment means must also be provided for forming closed circuits for the rnotors at the same 1 time that the reversing-switch is thrown,

since otherwise no braking action will take place. v

The object of the present invention is to provides. simple and novel arrangement for eilecting the proper motor connections for braking independently of the supply-current, particularly in cases where the motors are not normally grouped, closed circuits when the controller is in its off position.

To the above end the present invention consists in certain features of construction and organization of parts to he hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a two-"motor car equipment arranged in accordance with the present invention, and Fig. 2 indicates the motor-circuits when the motors are acting as braking-generators.

Reference being had to the drawings, M

and M represent two series motors; T, a current-collecting device; C, a motor-controller of the separately-actuated- .ontact type for connecting the motors n series and in parallel and varying the amount of resistance R R in the motor-circuit. The inotor-oontroller comprises a series of line-contacts T, T and T, a series contact S, parallel contacts P and P, a bridging-contact B,

and resistance-controllin contacts R to p This controller is identical with the controller shown in Patent 809,774, granted on January 9, 1906, on an application filed by me, except that the normally closed contacts T T are omitted. K and K are master-controllers located at opposite ends of the car and arranged to energize either of the actuat ing-coils or r of the reversing-switch and to control the operation of the contacts of the controller C, so as to connect the motors for operation either in the forward or reverse direction at varying speeds in the usual way.

r is an interlock on the revei'sing-swi'tch arranged to shift the actuating-chant of the eleotrornagnet r or r throu h the actuatingcoils of the line-contacts a ter the reversing switch has operated, this interlock being of the type usually employed for this purpose. All these parts may be of any usual or preferred forms, since the particular forms illustrated are indicative: only of general types.

The present invention, specifically considered, consists in roviding auxiliary actuating means for t e reversing-switch, togather with two auxiliary switches, which are closed at the same time or shortly after the reversing-switch is actuated, whereby the circuits of the motors are completed, as shown in Fig. 2. This auxiliary apparatus preferably consists of apair of pneumaticallyactuatedcontacts X and Y and a pair of pneumatically-actuated pistons 1 and 2, the contacts X and Y being arranged to complete the motor-circuits and the pistons being adapted to operate the reversing-switch. The pistons l and 2 may conveniently be arranged within cylinders 3 and 4, into the bottom of which pipes 5 and 6 open. A pipe '7, leading to the cylinders 00 and 1 of the switches X and Y, is connected, as by means of a T-head 8, to the cylinders 3 and 1- at points intermediate the ends thereof. The

pipe Bleeds to an engineers valve V at one end of the car, and the pipe 6 leads 'to a similar valve V at the opposite end of the car. The valves V and V are also connected to an auxilia. reservoir 9 and receive air there'- from'l hevalve. V is shown in a developed form as comprising an ordinary plug-valve 'v,

' arranged to connect pipe '5 either to atmoshere or to pipe 10, leading to the reservoir. 11 the first -position- -namely, that-shownthe cylinders 3, 4, 9.7, and/y are exhausted.v

' In the other position. of this valve air-flows valve, through pipe into cylinder .3, and

from the auxiliary reservoir through the forces the piston 1 and its attached stem 11 -u ward against the tension of the spring 12.

' e stem 1-1 engages a lug 13 on the movable 'member of the IBVBISIH HSWIltClI and forces the switch to the position opposite to that shown. As the piston approaches its upper V limit the opening to pipe 7 is uncovered and air flows into this pi e and into istonsw and that y, closin the switc es X and Similarly if valve If is operated the piston 2 is moved outward and the reversing-switch, if not already in the position shown, is brought to osition, and air'then flows into pi e7,

' as berore, and closes the switches X and .When the switches X and Y are closed, a

circuit may be traced from one terminal of motor M to ground and thence through switch X, through resistance-sections R, R, and R, to the reversing-switch, to the opposite terminal of this motor. A circuit may also be traced from the right-hand terminal of motor M, through resistance R to It, throu h switch Y, through the coil o of throtfie-relay '0, through reversing-snitch,

' and thence back to the left-hand terminal of this motor-namely, the two motors are connected as shown in Fig). 2.

It will be seen that y arranging the parts 'as described it is impossible for the operator to throw the reverslng-switch in the Wrong direction, fonwhen the motorman is at one .end of a car and he desires'to apply the brakes the valve at tha't end is operative only to produce the proper operation of the reversing-switch to permit the motors to build up their fields. It will also be seenthat the switches X'and Y are not closed until the reversing-switch has first been broughtto the proper position, and thereby the motors are prevented fromgenerating current in'a directionto neutralize the-residual magnets i M invention lsnotlimited to the particular evices illustrated or to a combination of all such devices, since it contemplates all do vices or combinations of devicesv'vithin the see c of the appended claims.

l at Iclami as new,. -and desire to secure by'LettersPatent of the-United States, is-- -1. In a system of control, a source of current-supply, a motor, a motor-controller, a

reversing-switch, means controlled'hy current fromjsa'id source ofsupply fornoimally actuating said reversing-switch, an auxiliary controller for completing a circuit for said motor, and means independent of the said source of current-supply for operating said reversingswitch and said auxiliary controller to conmeet the motor for operation as a brakinggenerator.

2. In a system of control, a motor, a'motorcontroller, .a reversing-switch, electromagnetic actuating means for said reversingswitch, a contact independent of the said controller for completing a circuit for said motor, and means for actuating said-reversing-switch and said contact to connect the motor for oper'ationas a braking-generator.

3. ,111 a system of control, a motor, amotorcontroller, a reversing-switch, service operating means for said switch, a contact for .completmg a circuit for said motor, and emergency operating means for, said reversing-' switch, said emergency operating means being arranged to also close said contact.

4. In a system of control, a motor, a reversing-switch, service-operat' means for said reversin -switch, a contact or bompletreversing-switch, and means for connecting each supply-pipe to the said contact actuat-' mg means when the corresponding actuating device has moved to the switch-operating position.

6. In a system of control, a plurality of motors, a motor-controller, a reversing- IIO switch, service operating means for said reversing-swltch, contacts for completing sep arate circuits for each ofsaid motors, and

emergency operating-means for said'reversingswitch and said contacts.

7. In an electrically.- ropelled vehicle, a

motor, .a reversing-switc ,.service operating means for said reversmg-switch arranged to be controlled from either end of the vehicle to connect the motorfor pro lling thevehicle n either direction, a pair 0 pistons adjacent said .reversing-switch'for operating the said switch respectively to the forward and reverse running ositions, a valve at one-end of the vehicle or admitting compressed fluid to who one of said istonsonl and a valveat the" otherYend-o the vehic e for admitting'com pressedfluid to the otherpiston only.

8." In an electrically-propelled vehicle, a motor, a motor-controller, a reversingswitch, service operatin means for said reversing-switch arrange to be controlled from either end of the vehicle to connect tlne motor for propelling the vehicle in either direction, a pair of pistons adjacent said reversing-switch for operating the said switch respectively to the forward and reverse running positions, a valve at one end of the vehicle for admitting compressed fluid to one of said pistons only, a valve at the other end of the vehicle for admitting compressed fluid to the other piston only a contactfor completin a circuit for said motor, and means r5 FRANK E. CASE.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN OnFom). 

